Two DAF CF Electric tractors for Rhenus Logistics in Germany

09-05-2019, DAF Trucks UK

DAF Trucks has delivered two fully electric 4x2 tractor units to Germany’s Contargo – a subsidiary of global logistics provider, Rhenus Group. The full electric trucks feature E-Power Technology from VDL and will be used for container transport around hinterland terminals in the German Lower Rhine area. The DAF CF Electric deliveries are the first for operations in Germany, and the 6th and 7th to take part in an extensive field test.

Richard Zink, Director Marketing & Sales and Member of the Board of Management at DAF Trucks, handed over the key of the CF Electric to Michael Viefers, Member of the Board of the Rhenus Group.

Rhenus Group is a global logistics service company, specialising in Contract Logistics, Freight Logistics and Port Logistics. It has a turnover of € 4.8 billion, more than 610 locations worldwide and employs 29,000 people. The DAF CF Electric tractors join the fleet of the trimodal container hinterland specialist Contargo, a 100% Rhenus company, handling a total volume of 2 million containers per year.

Electric trucks for urban areas
“It is clear that the transport sector is on the cusp of a major transformation”, states Richard Zink. “Take the better route is Contargo’s aim and I am extremely proud that we can support this mission and drive the success of Contargo even further with two DAF CF Electric trucks. They are ‘the better route’ as the electric truck is set to become the norm in more and more urban areas in future, all around Europe.” Zink continues: “We are delighted we can broaden our experience with electric trucks in collaboration with renowned companies like Rhenus. The data we collect about both the technology and the operational deployment will feed into the specifications for the final production models, thus ensuring that they fit seamlessly with the requirements of the market.”

“Important step towards de-carbonization”
“We are very proud to be one of the first to drive these pioneering DAFs”, states Jürgen Albersmann, Managing Director at Contargo. “One of our targets is to be de-carbonised by 2050. These trucks represent one important step towards this ambitious target.”

Local container delivery
The DAF CF Electric trucks will have their home base in Duisburg and will be used for local container deliveries within the conventional truck fleet of Contargo. The management of the truck will be executed by Rhenus Trucking, acting as service provider for Contargo.

About the DAF CF Electric
The DAF CF Electric is a full electric 4x2 tractor unit developed for road haulage of up to 37 tonnes in urban areas, where single-axle or dual-axle trailers are the norm. The vehicle is based on the DAF CF — named 'International Truck of the Year 2018' — and is operated fully electrically using VDL's E-Power Technology. The core of its intelligent powertrain is a 210-kW electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery pack with a current total capacity of 170 kWh. The CF Electric has a range of up to 100 kilometres, depending on the weight of its cargo, making it suitable for zero emissions high-volume transport in the urban areas. The batteries have a 30-minute quick-charge feature and a full charge takes just one and a half hours.